Book Two: Restoration
by ShadowOfApate
Summary: Sequel to Book One.
1. Default Chapter

Book: Two   
  
Title: Restorations   
  
Chapter One   
  
Pairings: KW/KL, W/B, J/G, G/X, J/G/X   
  
Crossover: ER, BtVS, XtWP   
  
Spoilers: ER: Season 7 & Rumors of 8, BtVS: Season 6, XtWP Season 5 and   
  
TLFENH   
  
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles   
  
  
  
Summary: A set of events starts a tidal wave that is unstoppable.   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Warner Bros owns ER, Universal own XtWP, and Paramount   
  
now owns BtVS otherwise   
  
known as the show formally known as WB.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The silence was tangible enough to touch inside the cozy apartment that   
  
had become a second home to the Scoobies. The people she considered   
  
closer to her family then anyone else she'd ever met were seated, in   
  
various stages of shock. Even Spike, with all his infinite sarcasm,   
  
couldn't think of any remark to crack.   
  
  
  
She shuddered slightly in her seat next to her ex-girlfriend. Since   
  
the Binding, her darker emotions had decided to come out and play.   
  
Seeds of ideas, thoughts, and emotions of her more vicious side were   
  
sprouting into blossom, making it harder to be the sweet innocent girl   
  
she had been.   
  
  
  
"So, are you two, like, 'orgasm buddies' now?"   
  
  
  
Willow narrowed her eyes at the former Vengeance Demon, only a slight   
  
blush gracing her features as she remembered the kiss they'd shared a   
  
few days ago. Before, she would've blushed and stammered her way   
  
through some sort of babble, but at that moment, a little voice was   
  
whispering happily in her mind about all the delicious things she could   
  
do. "None of your biz," she replied levelly. "Anyway, don't you have   
  
anything better to do? Like, say, have sex with Xander?"   
  
  
  
She frowned at the disbelieving looks everyone was giving her, glaring   
  
as Buffy reached over to check her pulse.   
  
  
  
"What...?" she said.   
  
  
  
"Uh, Wills, are you feeling okay?" Xander asked. "You're starting to   
  
sound like..."   
  
  
  
Her face darkened dangerously, causing him to trail off. "Like what?"   
  
  
  
"If you ask me, you're turning into your 'vamp' self," another of her   
  
friends suggested.   
  
  
  
Buffy stiffened and glared at Anya. Promptly, the ex-demon's   
  
self-preservation instincts kicked in and her mouth snapped shut.   
  
"She's fine, just tired," Buffy stated. "We've both had a difficult   
  
trip. Right, Wills?"   
  
  
  
"Actually..." Giles cut in, waiting until everyone was focused on him.   
  
He opened the book that he'd spent the last ten minutes rummaging   
  
around for. "...because of the Binding, Willow now helps control your   
  
darker side, just as you now share her lighter side. As such, she is   
  
now having to...uh...deal with her own...darkness."   
  
  
  
Willow closed her eyes, fighting the idea of telling him exactly what   
  
she thought of his ideas. The urge to just let loose was steadily   
  
becoming harder to control, and her friends weren't helping her any.   
  
  
  
"Willow?"   
  
  
  
She leaned into her ex-lover and whispered softly. "I...need to   
  
leave."   
  
  
  
Buffy clenched her fists as Tara helped her to stand, "Wills, let   
  
me..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...help you?"   
  
  
  
Joxer ignored his friend's pleas and continued to charge out of the   
  
obnoxiously loud tavern. He just couldn't deal with any of this right   
  
now. All he wanted to do was put his hand through a tree or two, and   
  
that feeling disgusted him more than Jace's taste in clothes.   
  
  
  
"Joxer..."   
  
  
  
No, he wasn't going to stop. Nope, nah uh, no way. If he stopped,   
  
he'd get lectured by Gabrielle about letting his 'family' help him, but   
  
they couldn't. Not really. He hadn't been properly trained by a   
  
Watcher, and that training was incredibly important for a Guardian. It   
  
was what he needed to learn to ground himself, to fight, and work with   
  
the two Slayers he traveled with.   
  
  
  
Instead, Xena had gotten her own Watcher, the God of War himself. For   
  
years, she learned to become one of the best and most feared warriors   
  
in the world. Under his instruction, she had learned every inch of the   
  
darkness inside herself, reveled in it, and to control it.   
  
  
  
She, in turn, taught Gabrielle, who was now as revered as Xena, but   
  
him? No. He was still a klutz who now had a whole new side to his   
  
personality, with no way out.   
  
  
  
He froze as he felt the familiar tug on the Bond, and sighed at the   
  
dark warrior who had followed him despite his wishes. "I thought I   
  
told you..."   
  
  
  
"I can teach you," she interrupted him, her voice low but firm.   
  
  
  
He stared hard at her, using the Bond to search through her mind for   
  
her intentions. A calm thread of hope caught his attention, telling   
  
him what he was looking for. Maybe things...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....weren't so bad after all.   
  
  
  
She stood back, watching Malucci working on the five-year-old boy.   
  
He'd long forgotten to crack jokes and brag, his attention focused only   
  
on saving him. His hands moved with a confident knowledge that clearly   
  
surprised Abby, who was putting in an IV. Even Luka simply stepped   
  
back, letting him take control over the trauma. The bleached blond man   
  
deftly gave out orders, and then moved on to the next wound. He was in   
  
the 'zone', and she felt a swell of pride that the young man had come   
  
far enough to accomplish that level of expertise.   
  
  
  
She nodded her approval to Luka, who'd spotted her outside the trauma   
  
room doors, and walked back towards the admittance desk. Mentally, she   
  
made a note to have lunch with Malucci and have a little talk with him.   
  
While she didn't condone giving much praise to other doctors, she felt   
  
that this time it was in order.   
  
  
  
"He seems to be improving," said the tall man, falling into stride   
  
beside her.   
  
  
  
She smiled slightly at Luka, not giving him enough cracks in her mask   
  
to read her. "Maybe."   
  
  
  
He smiled wryly. "Don't give me that. You saw how he was back there."   
  
  
  
  
  
"Just because he managed to pull his head out of his ass this one time,   
  
doesn't make him a doctor."   
  
  
  
Luka chuckled lightly at her neutral description. "He's not that bad."   
  
At her pointed look he added, "Then again...Look, Kerry, I'm just   
  
saying that a little push in the right direction might do the boy some   
  
good."   
  
  
  
She smirked at the chart in her hand. "I'm already planning to have a   
  
talk with our good doctor. I don't guarantee that he'll be coming out   
  
alive..."   
  
  
  
"And people say I have a dark sense of humor."   
  
  
  
"You should see her when she's not working," said Kerry's favorite   
  
voice in the world, beside them.   
  
  
  
She turned to her fast-approaching lover and let her eyes lustfully   
  
skim over the enticing body she personally knew was under that black   
  
pants suit. She sent several mental images to her lover, simpering   
  
when she felt Kim's breathing speed up. A bead of sweat slid down the   
  
side of Kim's face, splashing to the floor, unnoticed by everyone   
  
except her.   
  
  
  
"Kerry..." Kim's voice threatened to lose control and make an   
  
embarrassing public display.   
  
  
  
"Oh, before I forget," Kerry goaded her, still completely composed, "I   
  
found your beeper in my office. If you want I can...go get it?"   
  
  
  
Kim sucked in a sharp breath, and grabbed her hand, dragging her away   
  
from a highly amused Luka. She reached down and pinched her lover,   
  
causing her to...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....let out a high pitched yelp.   
  
  
  
Willow shook her head at Xander's antics. All she had wanted to do was   
  
get home and hide until she could get some type of discipline over   
  
herself. Instead, she had found herself on the receiving end of Giles   
  
volunteering to train her. Talk about your guilt complex.   
  
  
  
The ex-Watcher had immediately apologized for not having trained her   
  
properly to begin with, and then proceeded to mumble about the Council   
  
getting what they deserved.   
  
  
  
"Oww!" she exclaimed as another blow landed. This crash course   
  
approach to training may have been unavoidable, but it was exhausting   
  
as hell.   
  
  
  
"How many times must I tell you to concentrate?"   
  
  
  
She sighed and stood back up, wearily eyeing her best friend. Then   
  
shot a look at Giles as he opened his mouth to say something to her.   
  
Wisely, he simply gestured for them to continue. Concentrating on the   
  
Bond, she followed it back to Buffy, using it, making it part of   
  
herself.   
  
  
  
Willow put her hands up, meeting Buffy's roundhouse punch before she'd   
  
started it, using the forward momentum of her friend to turn and flip   
  
her over her back. Feeling out her next move, she flew forward,   
  
grabbing Buffy from behind as the blonde girl flipped onto her feet,   
  
and swept those feet out from underneath her.   
  
  
  
She was starting to really like the image of Buffy on her back. 'Oh,   
  
bad. Bad, bad, Willow. Although...'   
  
  
  
The moment's distraction, tempting though it was, proved disastrous.   
  
  
  
"Oof...!!"   
  
  
  
The floor seemed to leap up and smack the breath out of her, and once   
  
more she found herself staring up at the ceiling.   
  
  
  
"Down doesn't mean out, Wills," Buffy taunted her easily, spinning   
  
lightly to her feet. "Remember that."   
  
  
  
The grin on her friend's face blurred into sharp focus, creating a   
  
churning within her blood. Closing her eyes, she felt the shift in her   
  
body as her Demon form came forward.   
  
  
  
If she wanted a fight...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....then she was going to get a fight she wouldn't soon forget.   
  
  
  
Surging forward, they charged each other in a flurry of motions. Arms   
  
flew out, blocked, flipped, and drove. Legs slung out in close   
  
quarters, searching for an opening...any opening just as long as they   
  
made contact. All strength bared, they lost themselves in the heat of   
  
battle.   
  
  
  
With ease, he caught a stray arm, and flipped Xena. Her legs easily   
  
came down under her, allowing her to use their momentum to drive him   
  
towards a nearby tree. Running with her, he continued to run up the   
  
tree and flip over his friend. Coming down behind her, he barely   
  
ducked as her elbow came around.   
  
  
  
Rolling back from her, he slammed into a nearby boulder and yelped.   
  
Growling softly, he glared up at the woman now straddling his thighs,   
  
her face inches from his, both of them boiling with intense passion.   
  
Her lips brushed his, still caught up in the shared Bond.   
  
  
  
In a sudden surge of energy...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....she lobbed them over so that she was now on top of the Slayer.   
  
  
  
Blue eyes locked with hers, losing themselves in each other until the   
  
outside world completely faded away. She growled softly, pressing   
  
their lips together.   
  
  
  
"Kerry, can I talk to...Oh my!"   
  
  
  
She froze at the clipped English accent. Kim simply glanced over from   
  
her position under her, and smiled.   
  
  
  
"Elizabeth," Kerry got out. "I didn't realize you were back yet."   
  
  
  
The surgeon cleared her throat awkwardly. "Yes...well...I, uh...I'm   
  
not..."   
  
  
  
Kim sighed and glanced over at Mark's wife, anything but pleased at the   
  
interruption.   
  
  
  
Elizabeth turned, averting her eyes modestly. "Good afternoon, Dr.   
  
Legaspi. I'm...sorry to interrupt, but, ah, I just wanted to talk to   
  
Kerry. If it's convenient...?"   
  
  
  
Kerry could hear the unspoken importance. All she wanted to do was to   
  
get back to her lover, but from the way the surgeon was still hovering   
  
nearby, she seriously doubted that that would be happening anytime   
  
soon. True love or no, Slayer or no, she still had a hospital to run.   
  
  
  
"Let me get some clothes on," she said with as much dignity as the   
  
situation allowed.   
  
  
  
"Thank you. I'll...I'll just wait for you at Magoo's."   
  
  
  
She pulled away...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....and blanched.   
  
  
  
'OhmygoddessohmygoddessIdiditagainShemusthatemewhatamIgoingtodo?'   
  
  
  
She began to back away, her entire body shaking from...what? Pent up   
  
energy? Desire? Oh goddess...   
  
  
  
Buffy was her best friend, her bosom companion. Speaking of bosoms...   
  
No, bad! She...she was the closest friend she'd ever had, next to   
  
Xander. Even Xander wasn't as close to her as he had been, not since   
  
that fatal kiss. She slammed into the door, turning she sprinted   
  
through the apartment and out into the street, ignoring Buffy's voice   
  
calling for her to wait. She couldn't face her friend after that loss   
  
of control. She needed to get home, fast.   
  
  
  
"Oh goddess..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...what do I do now?" he wondered aloud   
  
  
  
All he could do was stare at the dozing form of Xena. They'd been so   
  
caught up that they hadn't even realized anything other than the blood   
  
pounding through their Bond. Now...now, he'd destroyed any   
  
relationship he could've had with Gabrielle.   
  
  
  
"Accept it and move on," the blonde woman's calm voice replied.   
  
  
  
He raised his eyes to see his love standing a few feet away, but no   
  
anger was visible on her face. "Gabby...I..."   
  
  
  
"Don't." She paced forward, her eyes coming to rest on Xena. "I could   
  
feel the Bond between us strengthen when you two..." She chuckled   
  
lightly at the look of fear on his face. "I was worried about how this   
  
Bond would work between the three of us."   
  
  
  
"Just as long as I'm not the one that has to explain our relationship   
  
to Eve," the taller woman mumbled, as though in her sleep.   
  
  
  
He chuckled at the still dozing form that had just spoken; that was one   
  
conversation he was utterly going to miss. 


	2. Chapter Two

Book: Two   
  
Title: Restorations   
  
Chapter Two   
  
Pairings: KW/KL, W/B, J/G, G/X, J/G/X   
  
Crossover: ER, BtVS, XtWP   
  
Spoilers: ER: Season 7 & Rumors of 8, BtVS: Season 6, XtWP Season 5 and   
  
TLFENH   
  
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles   
  
  
  
Summary: A set of events starts a tidal wave that is unstoppable.   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Warner Bros owns ER, Universal own XtWP, and Paramount   
  
now owns BtVS otherwise   
  
known as the show formally known as WB.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She hit the courtyard at a run, her feet skidding on the still-damp   
  
pavement. She didn't even notice her now-red hand from reaching out to   
  
stop her fall. All she could think about was her lack of self-control   
  
around her best friend. Six years of friendship, destroyed in only a   
  
few seconds.   
  
  
  
"Willow, wait...!"   
  
  
  
She shook her head and sped up, squealing in protest as Buffy wrapped   
  
her arms around her and lifted her off her feet. She moaned softly at   
  
the hot breath against her neck, unable to keep her mind from   
  
visualizing what the lips hovering above her pulse was capable of.   
  
"I-I have to go," she protested weakly.   
  
  
  
Buffy lowered her feet back to the ground, but didn't release her hold,   
  
pulling Willow tautly into herself until her back was pressed into her   
  
friend's chest. One of the hands holding her gently stroked her tender   
  
stomach, making it harder to breathe. "Go where?"   
  
  
  
"H-home. I h-have to go h-home. I promised my mother that I'd call   
  
her when we got back, and we're back now, so I thought I should call   
  
her. Plus it's almost dark, and being out--"   
  
  
  
She whimpered as Buffy turned her around to face her, claimed her lips   
  
in a searing kiss, stopping her words and numbing her mind. She   
  
reluctantly broke the kiss, in a last ditch effort at keeping a grip on   
  
her rapidly failing control.   
  
  
  
"--in Sunnydale at night isn't a good idea," she continued   
  
breathlessly. "Otherwise, you might end up fast food for some fanged   
  
Spike wannabe, but then again--"   
  
  
  
Willow sighed into the soft lips against her own, once again silencing   
  
her. As Buffy pulled slowly away from the exploring kiss, she gulped   
  
at the images she was getting through the bond.   
  
  
  
"--y-y-you know that, being the Slayer and... Oh, to hell with it."   
  
  
  
Giving into that evil little voice taunting her with all kinds of   
  
delicious ideas of what they could be doing, and talking was....   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....the last thing she wanted to do.   
  
  
  
The surgeon had made it blatantly clear the last time they saw each   
  
other just how much she despised and resented Kerry. And while she   
  
could understand that the woman was suffering from a combination of   
  
hormones and extreme 'protect my family at all costs' mode at the time,   
  
it didn't make it any easier to face her now.   
  
  
  
Kerry could easily convince anyone at anytime that she didn't give a   
  
damn about anything. She would simply keep her mask in place and push   
  
what she was feeling into the back of her mind. But once she left the   
  
ER she lost all control over that room where she kept her emotions   
  
locked away, and the door would burst open, making her stagger under   
  
the hurt and betrayal she felt. And every morning she'd wake up and   
  
relock the door, going back to the ER like a hurt dog waiting to get   
  
hit once more.   
  
  
  
Now, here she was standing outside of Magoo's in a smoldering heat that   
  
would send a lizard running, trying to get up the nerve to go inside.   
  
She hated feeling weak, and right now, she felt like an invalid. She   
  
was almost paralyzed with a deep penetrating fear.   
  
  
  
Not because Corday had caught her and Kim in an awkward position, not   
  
even because she'd seen them naked. She couldn't care less, she   
  
believed on some level that anyone rude enough to barge into her office   
  
without the consideration to knock first got what they deserved. No,   
  
her fear was more basic than that.   
  
  
  
She admired the feisty surgeon. Elizabeth was everything she'd wanted   
  
to be and more. She was tougher than anyone else she knew, but still   
  
had an incredibly tender side that drew people to her. She was a   
  
career genius, easily making herself a place in the hospital, but could   
  
still have a family on the side. Corday was gorgeous, in great shape   
  
physically, allowing her the ability to work in the field. Something   
  
she'd always loved about her job, but was no longer able to do.   
  
  
  
The tongue-lashing she'd received from the woman had hurt worse than   
  
anything else. The kind of hurt that she only felt one other time in   
  
her life, the night that Gabe had lectured her after she had pushed   
  
herself too far, too long, nearly costing the life of a patient. And   
  
she was scared to death that she was about to be on the receiving end   
  
of another round.   
  
  
  
"Kerry? What on earth are you doing out here?"   
  
  
  
"Nothing," she said, quickly following the surgeon inside. She   
  
carefully looked over the surgeon to gauge her emotions as they sat in   
  
a nearby booth. "What did you want to talk to me about?"   
  
  
  
"I won't apologize for my behavior towards you, just as you won't.   
  
However, I do admit that any grievances that I had with you should've   
  
been handled in private and not in front of your staff."   
  
  
  
"I see." She honestly didn't, but decided to say what she needed to in   
  
order to get out there, and away from Corday.   
  
  
  
"Look, Kerry, I don't expect you to want to be friends, but I do want   
  
to make sure that we're okay working together."   
  
  
  
"Elizabeth, I'm fine," she assured the taller woman. "We're both   
  
professionals, not high-school students. And I've worked with people   
  
who hated me all my life."   
  
  
  
She forced herself to make eye contact with the surgeon, while every   
  
fiber in her being yelled at her to look away. The slight frown that   
  
creased Elizabeth's mouth made her increasingly nervous.   
  
  
  
"Kerry, I don't..."   
  
  
  
She reached down, surreptitiously hitting the button to make her beeper   
  
go off. "I've got to go, they need me in the ER."   
  
  
  
"Kerry, wait..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...I think we should talk about this."   
  
  
  
He spun around to glare at the blonde. "No. I am not staying behind   
  
like some kind of useless dog. I am a warrior and your Guardian. It's   
  
my job. My duty to stand by you guys no matter what, and daggonnit,   
  
that's exactly what I'm going to do." He stood there proudly, giving   
  
her his most serious look.   
  
  
  
"Joxer, we're talking about buying a few supplies, not the end of the   
  
world."   
  
  
  
He pouted slightly, shifting uncomfortably in the new shirt Xena had   
  
insisted he wear. "I know, but..."   
  
  
  
"But what?"   
  
  
  
He inclined his head to the side. "...I guess I'm just feeling a   
  
little restless."   
  
  
  
"Really...?"   
  
  
  
His pout melded into a panicked look at the predatory look that entered   
  
his love's eyes. "Now, Gabby..." He began to back up, hypnotized by   
  
the stealthy, stalking movements she made towards him. "Gabby, wait a   
  
minute..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...this is a bad, bad idea...Eep!"   
  
  
  
Her knees hit the bed, and started to scramble backwards on it. Intent   
  
on getting away from the overly playful Slayer coming at her. With   
  
every step, she could feel the heat in the room jump another degree,   
  
creating an overwhelming urge to embrace it.   
  
  
  
"Come on, Wills, come to Buffy," her friend cooed at her. "I promise   
  
not to bite."   
  
  
  
'Oh, oh, bad, very bad.' She shook her head 'no' at the Slayer.   
  
"Uh-uh. I'm staying over here." She felt a little safer with the bed   
  
between them, but not by much. Her heart beat faster at the   
  
puppy-dog-eyes the Slayer was baiting her with.   
  
  
  
"Pretty please with a Slayer on top?" Buffy stuck her bottom lip out   
  
in a pout. "I want to cuddle."   
  
  
  
She slowly backed towards the door. "Uh-huh. Why don't I believe   
  
you?"   
  
  
  
Buffy surged at her...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....knocking her back into the instrument tray.   
  
  
  
"I said, you're hurting him!"   
  
  
  
She glared at the police officer that had thrown her from the patient   
  
like a rag doll. The flare in her hip pushed a hiss from her lips.   
  
"Leave the room," she demanded. "Now."   
  
  
  
The middle-aged cop sneered at her with disdain. Whether it was from a   
  
cripple being a doctor, or that the cripple just happened to be a   
  
woman, she didn't know, and didn't want to know. She pushed away her   
  
pain and stood nose to nose with him, glaring into his hate-filled,   
  
white-gray eyes.   
  
  
  
He shook his head obstinately. "I'm staying right here, little girl."   
  
  
  
The temperature in the room took a nose-dive. Everyone that wasn't   
  
working directly on the patient got out of the way. She vaguely   
  
registered Kim standing to the side, looking like she was about to   
  
erupt, but smart enough to stand back.   
  
  
  
"If you don't get your fat, high-cholesterol, male chauvinist ass out   
  
of my trauma room, or preferably my ER, then I will shove my crutch so   
  
far up your..."   
  
  
  
Kim spoke up, trying to diffuse the escalating conflict. "Uh, Kerry, I   
  
don't think you should..."   
  
  
  
"Now you listen here, bitch, if you don't learn your place then I'm   
  
going to..."   
  
  
  
"My place?!" Kerry interrupted in a white-hot fury. "Fine, if you're   
  
so big on lessons, then I'll give you one hell of a lesson that you   
  
won't..."   
  
  
  
"Kerry..." Kim edged toward the door, waving for the nurses to do the   
  
same. Conni was already on the phone, quietly calling for security.   
  
  
  
"How dare you talk to me like that? Twenty years ago, if a woman had   
  
dared talk to a man like that, he'd..."   
  
  
  
"What? Slap her around, maybe rape her? I think your partner got shot   
  
trying to arrest the wrong criminal..."   
  
  
  
"Oh, I get it. You're one'a them butch dykes..."   
  
  
  
Kerry's knuckled went white on the crutch's grip and her teeth ground   
  
together with primal rage. "I'm going to..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...scream if you don't shut him up!"   
  
  
  
Xena scowled at him and thrust the wooden stake into his back. He   
  
glared through the black dust at Xena....   
  
  
  
The darkened temple shone with a black light, making the teeth of the   
  
warrior glow eerily. The oxblood armor hugged his huge body. Black,   
  
dark hair that hung to his waist was pulled back into a ponytail. A   
  
ruby bear decorated the altar and throne.   
  
  
  
Dark red, almost black, thick blood poured from the roof, down the   
  
walls, flooding the temple. Screams echoed through the stone walls,   
  
wailing becoming louder with the sounds of death.   
  
  
  
"Tonight we shall open the way to Hell, freeing our beloved Master once   
  
again. By the Blue Moon, we shall know true salvation." He grabbed a   
  
young woman with blonde hair, her limp form sagging into him, too weak   
  
to stand on her own. "And your Guardian will not be able to do   
  
anything about it."   
  
  
  
Ridges shifted onto his forehead, yellow eyes and teeth blazing as   
  
he....   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
....."NO!!!"   
  
  
  
Willow snapped back to reality, changing her black Demon eyes back to   
  
their normal color. She grabbed her lover and squeezed her, burying   
  
her face into...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....her neck.   
  
  
  
"It's okay," Kim shushed her. "Something's making you overreact this   
  
way, like that cop. It's not your doing, and it's over now."   
  
  
  
But she knew better. "Oh goddess, Kim, promise me you'll..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...be careful."   
  
  
  
"Why? What's..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...wrong?"   
  
  
  
She dropped her gaze, dreading the words she was going to have to say.   
  
  
  
  
  
"Uh, Buffy? We might be..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...in trouble..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...again." 


	3. Chapter Three

Book: Two   
  
Title: Restorations   
  
Chapter Three   
  
Pairings: KW/KL, W/B, J/G, G/X, J/G/X   
  
Crossover: ER, BtVS, XtWP   
  
Spoilers: ER: Season 7 & Rumors of 8, BtVS: Season 6, XtWP Season 5 and   
  
TLFENH   
  
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles   
  
  
  
Summary: A set of events starts a tidal wave that is unstoppable.   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Warner Bros owns ER, Universal own XtWP, and Paramount   
  
now owns BtVS otherwise   
  
known as the show formally known as WB.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
His hands slid down her body, his soft whispers hypnotizing in her   
  
ears. Temptations dancing across her mind, powers that she could now   
  
harness teasing her imagination.   
  
  
  
"I can give you so much more, my love. Power beyond your dreams,   
  
slaves bowing to your every command. Let go, and embrace your   
  
abilities. Why fight that which you want, that makes you who you are?"   
  
  
  
  
  
His fangs nipped at her neck, hands...   
  
  
  
"Come on, wake up. Willow!!"   
  
  
  
She gasped out, holding her lover against her sweaty, trembling body.   
  
The darkness was seeping into her soul, making it harder and harder to   
  
control. With a desperate need to be grounded, she pummeled their lips   
  
together, slamming the shuddering, moaning Slayer to the mattress.   
  
  
  
She let out a deep-throated growl as...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....she responded to his aggressive behavior.   
  
  
  
His conscience screamed out at him, begging him to get away before he   
  
gave in to the throbbing power beckoning to him. He flung himself   
  
back, his eyes too blurred to notice the disappointed surprise on   
  
Gabrielle's face. He flew past her into the woods, running from the   
  
very thing he was scared of the most.   
  
  
  
He sensed the eyes on him, and glided to a stop. "Who are you?" he   
  
demanded.   
  
  
  
The shadow stepped into the thin stream of moonlight, his face   
  
partially hidden in the darkness, but Joxer recognized him immediately.   
  
"I believe you already know the answer to that question...Guardian."   
  
  
  
A strange peace settled over his soul, easing his mind and body.   
  
"You're the guy from my vision."   
  
  
  
"Romulus."   
  
  
  
He frowned at the vampire, the name ringing a bell somewhere in the   
  
back of his mind. "Isn't that..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...some sort of god?"   
  
  
  
The vampire bowed to her in an exaggerated manner, his shirt shimmering   
  
under the silver light. "You flatter me, my love."   
  
  
  
"And you didn't answer my question."   
  
  
  
"Possibly, but it is of no concern of mine."   
  
  
  
'Smooth.' Kerry smiled in ill humor, not at all effected by the man's   
  
supposed seduction attempts. There was no doubt that he had no problem   
  
getting who he wanted, but she was almost forty years old, and the   
  
Guardian of her second Slayer. She had more experience with the dark   
  
forces in her pinkie than most   
  
Watcher's had in a lifetime. Not merely the supernatural variety, but   
  
the equally limitless human capacity for mortal harm that paraded   
  
through her ER.   
  
  
  
She subtly scanned the hospital's parking garage to make sure no one   
  
else was around that could get hurt. Satisfied that she could end this   
  
without any innocent casualties, she turned her attention back to him.   
  
"Let me guess," she drawled with infinite sarcasm. "You're older than   
  
time, and have a foolproof plan to bring Hell to Earth. You want me to   
  
join you and stand by your side. In exchange, you will give me my   
  
heart's desires. People to wait on me hand and foot, my one true love,   
  
blah blah blah. If only I'll embrace my dark side." She mimicked a   
  
'Darth Vader' heavy breath. "Right?"   
  
  
  
He swallowed and nodded hesitantly. "Er, something like that."   
  
  
  
She cocked her eyebrow at him and smirked darkly. With a twist of her   
  
right hand, her crutch thrust forward, a wooden dagger slicing out of   
  
the tip and through his heart.   
  
  
  
A gurgle erupted from his mouth as he stared at her in wide-eyed shock,   
  
finally bursting into a cloud of black dust.   
  
  
  
"I've already embraced my dark side, 'my love'..." she muttered in a   
  
perfect impression of a Greek accent. "Founded Rome my ass. Men."   
  
She stared at the nearby column, rolling her eyes. "And you were a lot   
  
of help!"   
  
  
  
A sheepish Kim approached her. "Oh please, you had that guy from the   
  
second he appeared."   
  
  
  
"Still..."   
  
  
  
"...and I can't believe you. I thought we had a talk about your playing   
  
with the bad guys?"   
  
  
  
She chuckled at her lover's antics. "Come on, let's..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...get you home."   
  
  
  
She stared at the spot where Remus had disappeared, her body shaking   
  
slightly at the feelings he'd provoked. He'd spoken so softly, talking   
  
about his twin brother, and everything they could give her. One side   
  
of her personality was jumping up and down, yelling with joy at the   
  
chance. The other wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard.   
  
  
  
"Willow..."   
  
  
  
She collapsed into her lover's arms, savoring the safety she felt as   
  
Buffy carried her inside the house. Sleep blanketed her mind, pulling   
  
her into the deep recesses of a land she was now weary of. Even in the   
  
midst of the swirls of the invasive form of Remus, the blankness of her   
  
mind took over, drowning him from her subconscious.   
  
  
  
The impossible depths of his eyes haunted her mind, reminding her of   
  
Oz, but not sparking the passion that she only seemed to find in the   
  
arms of another woman. The soft exquisiteness that made her feminine,   
  
caresses that only another woman could know, the deep wet wells of her   
  
mouth. Drawing her in, touching a part of her soul, setting her on   
  
fire in the late shadows of her mind. Burning heat lighting a fire low   
  
in her belly, spreading, flaming, blazing out of control.   
  
  
  
Silky, hairless skin skimming across skin. Unimaginable touches   
  
that...   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.....he would die for, just to experience in a haze of animal instinct.   
  
  
  
The blankness lifted from his mind. The fading form of the invader   
  
growling out at him, angry at his uncooperative state. Minor tinges of   
  
anxiety reminded him of the repercussions that was sure to follow, but   
  
the knowledge of an undisturbed sleep pulled him deeper into slumber.   
  
  
  
"Did you feel him?" a female voice whispered.   
  
  
  
"Yes," her companion replied. "Whoever this Romulus is, he's going to   
  
pay for messing with him."   
  
  
  
"At least we're in agreement."   
  
  
  
"I'll even let you be the one to dust him."   
  
  
  
The voice snorted. "By the time I get through with him he'll be..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...begging me to dust him. The pig."   
  
  
  
Kim laughed into her neck. "There's just one problem."   
  
  
  
"What?" she muttered, her hand taking a detour up the thigh spooned   
  
against hers.   
  
  
  
"The last time I checked, Romano wasn't a Demon."   
  
  
  
"That's a matter of perspective," Kerry snorted in outrage. "You   
  
haven't known him as long as I have." Slayer sense or not, she had no   
  
doubt that the little prick was some sort of Hell Demon. Probably some   
  
sort of hybrid, maybe a failed succubus. All that mattered was that   
  
she was going to prove he was the evil incarnate that she knew to be   
  
true.   
  
  
  
"Kerry..." Kim warned at the thoughts speeding through her brain.   
  
  
  
"What?"   
  
  
  
"Don't 'what' me. He's as human as you or me..." Kim sighed at the   
  
look Kerry gave her over her shoulder. "All right, bad example. My   
  
point is that we can't just go around and kill anybody and everybody   
  
that gets on your nerves."   
  
  
  
She let out a mock sigh. "I guess I'd better throw those arsenic and   
  
chocolate chip cookies I made for Malucci away."   
  
  
  
"That's not funny," Kim scolded. "I'm worried about these flashes of   
  
rage you've been having lately. They're excessive, even for you."   
  
  
  
Kerry ignored her concern. "I still think it would..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...be justifiable homicide."   
  
  
  
Giles rubbed his sleep-blurred eyes and checked the VCR clock, flashing   
  
4:52 A.M. in angry green letters. Buffy pretended she didn't notice   
  
the way he pointedly stared at it. She loved the older man as a   
  
father, but letting him sleep wasn't on her list of priorities at the   
  
moment.   
  
  
  
"Nevertheless, you can't just go hunt this guy down."   
  
  
  
"Why not? All I have to do is introduce him to Mr. Pointy, and   
  
poof...no more bad guy."   
  
  
  
Giles, finally excepting his sleepless fate, moved into the open   
  
kitchen and started the process of making his morning tea. "First of   
  
all, I take it you don't know anything about this Remus?" At her nod,   
  
he continued. "We have no idea what his plans are, or what abilities   
  
he may have. Secondly, it's five in the morning."   
  
  
  
"So?"   
  
  
  
"So, with Willow now dealing with the darker portion of her personality   
  
-- and might I remind you she has far less experience at doing so than   
  
you do -- she will probably not be too understanding if you're not   
  
there when she wakes up. Of course, there's also a chance that her   
  
reaction of your not letting her do her job as your Guardian might make   
  
her...how shall I say...grumpy?"   
  
  
  
Oops. She hadn't thought of that. Her entire reaction had been along   
  
the lines of: skin the bastard who'd dared mess with her lover, then   
  
leave him to choke to death on his own blood. "Oh, yeah. I guess I'd   
  
better get back before she wakes up, huh?"   
  
  
  
"Well, yes, that would be the wisest course of action. Unfortunately,   
  
I believe you are too late."   
  
  
  
She gulped as he pointed over her shoulder. It didn't take a genius to   
  
know when you were in the figurative doghouse, and she'd been in it   
  
enough while her mother was still alive to recognize the smell of dog   
  
food.   
  
  
  
Slowly, she pivoted and took a protective step away from her stewing   
  
lover. In her entire life she'd never felt the raw fear she had at   
  
that moment. The anger was a calm cold steam that was coming from the   
  
woman she loved, and she wanted nothing more than to run and hide   
  
behind Giles   
  
  
  
Willow's voice was a deadly hiss. "Don't you ever try to stop me   
  
from..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...doing my job. I will not be pushed out of the loop anymore, do you   
  
understand me?"   
  
  
  
Both women nodded mutely, and for once Gabrielle kept quiet, sensing   
  
that this was not the time to make any sort of cracks.   
  
  
  
"We would never do that to you," her dark-haired companion assured   
  
Joxer. "We were simply worried about you, and this situation with   
  
Romulus."   
  
  
  
He eyed Xena, quietly acknowledging her unwillingness to lie to him   
  
about something like this. His anger faded into the background,   
  
leaving him ashamed and deflated. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."   
  
  
  
"Joxer, relax. I understand."   
  
  
  
He nodded, knowing her history as Ares' warrior champion. It tore him   
  
up to know she was in so much pain over her actions during that portion   
  
of her life. That part of her life had made her what she was today.   
  
He sat back down on his blanket, berating himself for letting it get   
  
the best of him.   
  
  
  
Xena had it worse than he did, and here he was acting like a child.   
  
Well, no more, from this day on he was going to act like the warrior he   
  
wanted to be, starting now. 


	4. Chapter Four

Book: Two   
  
Title: Restorations   
  
Chapter Four   
  
Pairings: KW/KL, W/B, J/G, G/X, J/G/X   
  
Crossover: ER, BtVS, XtWP   
  
Spoilers: ER: Season 7 & Rumors of 8, BtVS: Season 6, XtWP Season 5 and   
  
TLFENH   
  
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles   
  
  
  
Summary: A set of events starts a tidal wave that is unstoppable.   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Warner Bros owns ER, Universal own XtWP, and Paramount   
  
now owns BtVS otherwise   
  
known as the show formally known as WB.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The laptop numbed her unseeing eyes, but her mind was locked on Remus.   
  
She recognized his name from Roman history. A set of twins raised by   
  
wolves, and the creators of Rome. She never guessed that they had   
  
become immortal vampires. A demon that she was birthed to fight.   
  
  
  
The tug on her mind was overwhelming, drawing her into the part of her   
  
mind that scared her the most. She'd lost control a number of times   
  
since she'd gotten back, and begged for their forgiveness more. She   
  
planned on cooking until she never left the kitchen again.   
  
  
  
Buffy had been quick to forgive, just grateful that she had calmed   
  
herself after her lecture. She winced as she remembered the cold rage   
  
that had threatened her ever-slipping control. The early morning hours   
  
had left them both exhausted from the long lesson that Giles had   
  
insisted upon after her little display.   
  
  
  
Anya pouted for the first few hours of their early morning research   
  
party, but finally went back to treating her with her usual zeal,   
  
muttering something about winning a bet with Xander. The friend in   
  
question shook his head and replied that you can't trust ex-Vengeance   
  
Demons. The only intangible she had been able to gather was that the   
  
bet had something to do with her and her Dopplerganger.   
  
  
  
Giles had only absently smiled with a slight nod, his eyes never   
  
leaving the book he'd bought on Guardian demons. Every once in a while   
  
he'd glance up and mumble under his breath at a far wall. A simmering   
  
anger was slowly coming alive behind his normally calm demeanor.   
  
  
  
Now, though, her kindness and urge for acceptance was in the   
  
background, leaving her alone with thoughts of Remus. He was   
  
everything that she wasn't. Strong, brave, handsome, slick... 'Evil, a   
  
killer...' She frowned at the blurred screen.   
  
  
  
She was tired of fighting herself, trying to keep tight rein on   
  
emotions that were almost addictive in their own right.   
  
  
  
Laughter cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. The   
  
others were laughing at some unintentional joke that Anya had told.   
  
  
  
'Damn it, why can't they just be serious? Just once I'd like to...'   
  
She closed her eyes at the onslaught of unreasoning rage. It was his   
  
influence, doing it to her again. 'Remus...'   
  
  
  
Somehow, that reminded her. "Damn it, I forgot."   
  
  
  
Buffy glanced up, worry creasing her face. "Forgot what?"   
  
  
  
She blinked at her, and smiled sheepishly. "I promised my mother that   
  
I'd go by this morning and help her..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...get some summer cleaning done. Then again, knowing her, she'll   
  
probably have me cooking them lunch."   
  
  
  
Gabrielle clenched her jaw, her hatred of Meg very clearly written in   
  
her posture. "Why do you insist on being friends with   
  
that...that...that..."   
  
  
  
"Slut?" Xena offered innocently.   
  
  
  
"...and you, always running off to her like a...a..."   
  
  
  
"Lost puppy?"   
  
  
  
"Stop finishing my sentences!" The bard warrior glared at a chuckling   
  
Xena. "And just what do you find so funny about this? That Joxer is   
  
going over to his ex-paramour to help with domestic chores, or the fact   
  
that said ex is a mass of living hormones?"   
  
  
  
Xena snorted softly. "For one thing, I trust him...."   
  
  
  
"I didn't say I didn't trust him," she protested.   
  
  
  
"Oh? That's not what your rant was suggesting."   
  
  
  
Gabrielle threw her hands up in frustration, muttering to some goddess   
  
for strength. "It's Meg I don't trust. She'd jump a..."   
  
  
  
"Gabby!!" He gaped at his lover. "I love you, but don't talk about   
  
Meg like that. She's a decent person, and she deserves to be treated   
  
with respect."   
  
  
  
"Respect?"   
  
  
  
Xena put the gauntlet of wine back on the table. "He's right. It takes   
  
a strong person to survive what she's been through, and to make it with   
  
her spirit still intact..."   
  
  
  
"I know, I know." Gabrielle sighed. "I hate it when..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...you're right."   
  
  
  
She grinned evilly at the short bald man at the end of the hall talking   
  
to 'Lizzy'. "What can I say? I have a feel for these things."   
  
  
  
"Hmm. So it has nothing to do with the fact that Randi is always   
  
referring to him as the Devil Incarnate?"   
  
  
  
She firmly ignored the jibe towards her, instead concentrating on the   
  
new information she had received on Dr. Robert 'Rocket' Romano. A   
  
friend of hers had confirmed that he was indeed a Demon; more   
  
specifically, a Gergous...which, unfortunately for her purposes, was   
  
generally a peaceful race. However, the key word there was   
  
'generally', and she was pretty sure she could convince her lover that   
  
ridding the world of Romano was necessary.   
  
  
  
"Forget it."   
  
  
  
She stared at Kim darkly, loving the shiver of heat that ran through   
  
that marvelous body at only her look. "Our job is to protect the   
  
world, isn't it?"   
  
  
  
"Well, yes, but..."   
  
  
  
"We protect people from evil demons and other forces, right?"   
  
  
  
"Yeah, but..."   
  
  
  
"...and Romano is not only a demon but an evil, horrid one, who has no   
  
feelings..."   
  
  
  
"A demon from a peaceful..."   
  
  
  
"There are always exceptions!"   
  
  
  
"A peaceful race of demons with mischievous streaks," Kim interrupted   
  
her. "And if being a general pain-in-the-ass to everyone was cause for   
  
being slain, your own staff might have lynched you long ago, Kerry."   
  
  
  
"I'd like to see them try!" She scowled at her lover. Why did she   
  
have to go out and start study up on slaying like she was in   
  
college? Couldn't she have conveniently forgotten that little tidbit?   
  
She had been acting blissfully ignorant of the race's habit of causing   
  
mischief, and she would've gotten away with it.   
  
  
  
"He's still a menace."   
  
  
  
"Maybe so, but you can't just...!"   
  
  
  
"Kerry?" a third voice injected.   
  
  
  
She turned to see Elizabeth approaching her and cringed slightly. She   
  
hated feeling so off balance around the other woman, like a student   
  
near her favorite teacher. 'Oh goddess...'   
  
  
  
"I was hoping you and Kim would join me for lunch?"   
  
  
  
She started to ease the other woman down, declining politely, but Kim,   
  
in all her infinite wisdom, beat her to it. "We'd love to."   
  
  
  
There, the blonde was truly a genius of diplom... HUH??   
  
  
  
She glared at her lover, sending a very vivid picture through their   
  
Bond. The blonde's eye's bulged out as she choked.   
  
  
  
"Are you all right?" Elizabeth eyed her carefully/   
  
  
  
Kim nodded, coughing into her hand, and shooting Kerry a look.   
  
  
  
"So, which shall it be today? Magoo's or the cafeteria?"   
  
  
  
Kerry had faced massive traumas, bloodsucking hellspawn, and   
  
interminable board meetings, and always escaped alive. But she   
  
resigned herself to not getting out of this one. "I think..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...that this was a really bad idea." She slowly spun in a circle   
  
inside the temple. It was the same one from her vision.   
  
  
  
"So, you've decided to join me after all, my love," purred the deep,   
  
masculine voice.   
  
  
  
The older man was leaning against the altar giving his own pitiful   
  
impression of seduction. 'Does this act actually work for him?'   
  
  
  
"I need to know," she said quietly. He knew exactly what she meant.   
  
  
  
"By trying to deny one side of your personality to the other, then you   
  
are creating the very conflict that's giving you so much heartache."   
  
  
  
She stepped closer to him, seeing past the arrogance-and-evil act.   
  
"How? Every time I do something, it's like a war emerges inside   
  
myself."   
  
  
  
Remus smiled sadly. "You must trust in yourself."   
  
  
  
She understood what he was saying, but it still scared her that there   
  
was this other part of her personality.   
  
  
  
"Everyone has a portion of darker thoughts inside themselves, it's what   
  
keeps them balanced. But you weren't born with that portion, and that   
  
makes it harder for you to accept it now." He shrugged. "It's a   
  
process of development that most people go through naturally in   
  
childhood, through adolescence, and into maturity. In your case, you   
  
had a lot of catching up to do in a very short time."   
  
  
  
She thought back over the last few days, her thoughts and feelings.   
  
The entire time she'd been so worried about this new darker self that   
  
that's all she'd been concentrating on, and had missed the other   
  
feelings. The good feelings, the warm, fuzzy emotions she was so used   
  
to.   
  
  
  
"Believe me, child, you can master this, too," he assured her. "Above   
  
all, don't try to do it alone. Your friends and family are there for a   
  
reason. Never turn your back on them."   
  
  
  
She smiled brightly at him and, on impulse, hugged him. "Thank you,   
  
but why are you helping me?"   
  
  
  
Remus chuckled, letting her go. "You don't really think that Angelus   
  
is the only vampire out there with a soul do you?"   
  
  
  
"But your brother...?"   
  
  
  
"Lost his a few months ago, not that it matters anymore. He went after   
  
your mother and she..." A brief shudder ran through his form. "At   
  
least he won't be able to go through with his plans."   
  
  
  
She felt sorry for the older man, it must be so lonely for him now.   
  
"If you want, I could make your soul permanent."   
  
  
  
He seemed to brighten at that idea, his entire face lighting up.   
  
"Thank you..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...I was so afraid of what would happen if I..."   
  
  
  
Romulus smirked at him, sending chills down his spine. "Now, the price   
  
for my advice."   
  
  
  
"Uh, price?" Joxer blinked. "I'm afraid that I don't have any money   
  
at the moment, but if you want I could..."   
  
  
  
"I want you," Romulus informed him with Draculean calm, "to give me a   
  
soul."   
  
  
  
He blanched at the vampire. "MY soul? But...but why? I mean I'm   
  
nobody..."   
  
  
  
"No, I want you to give me my soul back." The smirked died from his   
  
lips. "My brother was cursed with his soul by some gypsies, but he   
  
won't have anything to do with me while I have none."   
  
  
  
Ahh, that made sense. Even creatures of the night could be lonely   
  
without their own kin. "Oh. Sure, I just need some supp..."   
  
  
  
He trailed as the vampire moved so he could see the herbs and book on   
  
the altar.   
  
  
  
"Okay. Well I guess we should..."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"...get started if we want to make it back before our break ends."   
  
  
  
She hated the feeling that there was something going on other than a   
  
friendly lunch together. "Elizabeth, was there any particular reason   
  
you were wanting to have lunch with us?"   
  
  
  
Kim, ever the soothing voice of communication, stepped in. "I think   
  
what Kerry means is..."   
  
  
  
"It's all right." Elizabeth took a deep breath and met her eyes. "I   
  
understand how you feel, Kerry, but in light of your recent Bonding, I   
  
felt I should come forward now."   
  
  
  
Kerry's throat dried up in shock. "You know about...?"   
  
  
  
"I was a Watcher," Elizabeth told her quietly.   
  
  
  
'Oh my...' She'd always known that there was more to Elizabeth Corday   
  
than anyone at County knew, but this...   
  
  
  
"Were?" Kim echoed. "Past tense?"   
  
  
  
The surgeon nodded. "I was decommissioned after discovering certain   
  
books that the Council had denounced. That's one of the reasons I came   
  
here to continue my career as a surgeon."   
  
  
  
Kerry gaped at the other woman, her mind not quite wrapping around what   
  
she was saying. To have worked beside her all this time and not known   
  
how parallel their secret lives were...   
  
  
  
Kim, who hadn't known Corday as long, simply nodded with her customary   
  
nonchalance. "But why tell us this?"   
  
  
  
"Because I know that you're a Slayer, and I also know that Kerry is   
  
your Guardian. Simply put, I wish to train the two of you."   
  
  
  
Kerry snapped out of her shock and glared at her. "And just what makes   
  
you think we need you as a Watcher?"   
  
  
  
"One, you may have quite a bit of experience under your belt but that   
  
was before your...injury and the loss of your first Slayer. You need   
  
to be trained to use your injury while doing your job. Two, Kim has   
  
never been trained, and while I'm sure she's in good shape, that simply   
  
won't cut it." Elizabeth folded her hands and looked placidly at them   
  
both. "Face it, ladies. You need my help."   
  
  
  
"I hate it when someone else is right," Kerry muttered, much to her   
  
lover's amusement. 'Oh yes, real funny.' 


End file.
